Unmixed Messages
by fluoroid
Summary: A series of short, stand alone reveal fics. Mostly focused around our two main heroes, with the occasional visit from the supporting cast. Rife with fluff and feels. Content warning: some chapters may contain blood and injury.
1. Unmixed Messages

_A/N: Just a short one shot. I found out today is International Kissing Day, or something, so I decided to try my hand at something cuter and less blood coated than I normally write. Anyway, have at it. Hopefully you enjoy._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 1: Unmixed Messages_**

 _A one shot to celebrate International Kissing Day. Chat wants a kiss. Marinette fights her own feelings. Marichat. First attempt at writing fluffy fluff._

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"Are you sure you know what you want?" he asked with a whisper, leaning closer.

She felt her heart beat wildly against her chest as she felt his firm body press up against her. The stammered incoherently in protest as her thoughts spun out of control. How was it she could handle him with no problem when she was Ladybug, but when she wasn't her alter ego she floundered about like a fish out of water? It was easy to dismiss his charm and flirtatious personality when they were saving Paris. However, for some reason when he came to visit her as Marinette, at night on her balcony, his stupid puns and mischievous grin gave her butterflies. It was ridiculous, she told herself. Unknown identity aside, it was absolutely ridiculous for the sole reason that she now found herself standing nose to nose with Chat.

"You say that your heart belongs to another boy," Chat continued, "but your current reaction tells me otherwise."

His whisper tickled the hairs on her neck making them stand straight up. The tips of her fingers tingled, notifying her she had been gripping the bottom the railing behind her too tightly for too long. She cleared her throat with a fake cough as she pushed herself more upright, releasing the guardrail and sliding a hand between them onto Chat's chest to distance him a little. She needed some fresh air that wasn't saturated with his strong, albeit alluring scent. Chat snaked an arm around her waist to the small of her back pulling her back to him, his other hand climbed to the base of her neck were he lightly fingered her pigtails. Marinette momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"I- i-it's just, well. It wouldn't b-be right, you know," she stuttered as she looked into his brilliantly yellow, green eyes. "I d-don't even kn- know. Who you are. Beyond the mask. . ."

"Is that all that's holding you back?" he asked her, still speaking softly, grinning wider.

"That is _one_ of my concerns," she clarified with a little more resolve in her voice.

He bent in so his cheek brushed against hers.

"I can remedy that, you know," he replied smoothly.

The touch of his lips played against her ear lobe sending a shiver down her core. She suppressed her immediate response- a giggle. The last thing Chat needed was encouragement, and the last thing she needed was to provide it. She chose to refocus her efforts instead, trying desperately to ignore the hormones that surged through her. To ignore the way she felt in his firm, unwavering embrace, or the feeling of his chest rising and falling in tandem with hers. To ignore his captivating stare. His scent. The confounded urge to actually _let him_ kiss her. . . She gasped. She had forgotten to breathe again.

"Your identity is meant to be secret for a reason, kitty," she scolded lightly, pushing her fingers further against him.

"There's gotta be something in the rule book about exceptions," Chat mumbled, straightening up and looking off to the side.

Marinette breathed a small sigh of relief at his distraction, using the opportunity to back away from him slightly. She froze when he seemed to notice, turning back to her as his eyes lit up with an idea.

"What if. . ."

"What if-?" Marinette repeated, curiously.

She mentally slapped herself for taking the bait.

"What if I told you that you already know who I am?"

She laughed nervously, leaning backward. He followed her.

"You could pretend to be anyone, you know," she said as a matter of fact, now staring up at him.

"And that we're friends? I mean outside of the mask."

"My argument still stands."

"And yet, we're still having this conversation," he smirked.

"You have yet to let go," Marinette pointed out, pointedly looking at his hands on her hips.

"Alright then. Tell me you don't want to know, and that you're not wanting this attention."

She felt a red heat rise in her cheeks as she flushed. He continued to stare at her with an expression of amusement over his lips. She stumbled over her words as she tried to construct an excuse. Of course she wanted to know, but that beside the point. And _of course._ She loved his attention, she just didn't know how to respond to it. She liked Adrien after all. There was probably no chance that he'd ever return her feelings, but she wanted to hope that he might someday. But then, there was Chat. And while he wasn't aware (or at least not consciously) they were one and the same, he now acted as head over heels for her as he did when she was Ladybug. She used to think he flirted with every and any girl, but she was learning through her interactions with him as Ladybug and as Marinette that he only had eyes for them. For _her._ As such, he was growing on her. Rapidly.

She found herself eagerly awaiting his visits at night, even after patrolling the city with him as Ladybug. His presence was comforting and natural. She felt like she could talk to him about anything, with respect to her two identities that is. Even still, he was becoming all the more dear to her, and admittedly, her feelings for him were blooming from the platonic, little brother idea to something much more. Much more complex and deep. She didn't know his identity beyond the mask, but she couldn't ignore his consistency as Chat Noir. He was a real person with real feelings, a person who shared his thoughts and experiences with her (within reason per Marinette's desire to keep his identity safe). He protected her and made her feel safe, even now, with all of his persistence, he hadn't yet kissed her since she hadn't given her consent.

"Alright," she agreed.

He startled when she replied, staring at her as if to determine she was in fact possessed by some other entity. But she smiled, settling more comfortably in his his hold, and he realized Marinette was now fully echoing his feelings. A knot formed in his stomach as the butterflies in his gut started dancing. He tentatively rested his hand at her nape as she back looked into his eyes. "May I?" escaped his mouth before he could stop it. But much to his delight, she nodded, still smiling no less. He bent in and placed his lips on hers.

His arms pulled her in tightly again, but this time she didn't resist. Marinette relaxed, almost melting into him as his lips touched hers. It wasn't completely natural, but it was pleasant. His kiss was soft, but confident. She kissed him back, leaning into him. He slid his hand down her back drawing her hips against his and she could feel her face was on fire again. A green light flashed beyond her closed eyelids and she heard something flutter away, she didn't give it much thought however, as she was wrapped up in the moment. After a long minute, he released her slightly to which she relented to ending the contact. She pulled away from him slowly, opening her eyes to find Chat was no longer holding her. It was-

"A-Adrien-!" she nearly shouted.

She shocked herself so badly she managed to trip over her own feet when she jumped at the sight of him. Tumbling over backward, she let out a yelp, but Adrien caught her at the waist along with her hand and stopped her decent before she hit her head. She blushed furiously at him as she gaped. Once she was standing on her own two feet, he took a step back, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He chuckled shyly.

"Told you we knew each other."

Plagg zipped out of his jacket pocket as he let out a burst of laughter.

"That was priceless."

"You-" Marinette gaped incredulously from Adrien to the little cat floating next to him. "Chat- but. How?"

"Yeah, that's me," he smiled nervously. "H-hopefully that isn't a. . . disappointment?"

If they weren't attached, Marinette's eyes would have probably been on the ground.

"D-disappointed? H- _how_ could I be disappointed?!" she emphasized by throwing her hands toward the ground.

"Uh-" Adrien paused, fidgeting with his collar. "I guess I'm just not sure how to translate your- reaction."

"I- I just-" Marinette flustered, "I didn't think you would just _de-transform_."

"Tah dah-" he grinned weakly, splaying his hands in a comical fashion.

"Never in my wildest dream would I have suspected Adrien Agreste to be Chat Noir," she explained, waving her hands. "I mean, you're the guyI'vebeencrushingonsohardforsolong, you know, theamazingandwonderfulAdrien. BoyinmyclassIneverthoughtcould _possibly_ likemein-"

He placed a couple of fingers against her lips, effectively silencing her sudden gush of information. She blushed madly as she recalled everything that had just escaped her, ducking her head shamefully as she toyed with her bangs. He reached up and clasped her fingers in his hand. Timidly, she looked back at him to find him smiling at her kindly.

"Why wouldn't I like you?" he asked, leading her hand away from her face, placing his other hand over hers. "You're the incredible Marinette. There's nothing _not_ to like."

"Y-you really like me," she said slowly, as the realization made it's way to the surface.

"I just kissed you, in case you forgot," he winked playfully.

She blushed again.

He pulled her into a hug. She buried her face into his shoulder, pulling tightly at the sleeves at his shoulders. She relaxed slightly as she breathed in his scent. It was the same as Chat Noir's only slightly less leathery. Her body shook with a giggle and Adrien looked at her curiously.

"I guess it's my turn to tell _you_ a secret," she smiled. He arched a curious eyebrow at this when she called out. "Tikki."

Tikki flew from her bag on the desk in her room, darting in front of Adrien's face.

"Nice to officially meet you, Adrein," the small, red entity said. "I'm Ladybug's kwami." She turned her attention to the cat kwami. "Plagg, it's been a while-"

The black kwami tackled the red one, causing both kwamis to tumble aimlessly through the air. They chattered and laughed excitedly over their reunion, wrapped in a small ball of a hug, casting glances over at the two teens. Adrien didn't really register what they were saying though, as Marinette's bright blue eyes had him entranced. He had known Ladybug all along. A large, cat like grin spread over Adrien's face as he looked back to Marinette, who suddenly looped her hands over his shoulders, pulling herself up to him as she planted her lips on his.

"Looks like I'm lucky after all," she said.

He laughed.

"You and me, both."

Best. Day. _Ever._

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 _A/N: Hopefully that wasn't too much of a train wreck. Let me know in the comments if you would like to see more stuff like this. Like I said, it was definitely an experiment._


	2. Hero

_A/N: The first chapter was originally intended to be a one-shot, but since I came up with another idea for reveal fodder, I decided to make this a series. I needed a break from my other pieces but I've been so inactive lately, I decided to come up with another reveal fic. It's pretty different from the last one, but I hope you guys still like it._

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 **Chapter 2: Hero**

 _When trying to keep Chat's identity a secret from herself and their fans, Marinette finds herself fighting for Adrien's life._

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Chat thrashed madly against the current dragging him under, sputtering desperately for oxygen as he resurfaced for a brief moment only to again be sucked beneath the flow of the Seine. The large mechanical arm that had been broken from the akuma of the day, Jackhammer, was viced around his leg and was making it incredibly difficult to keep from sinking to the depths of the river. The icy temperatures that greeted him forced the air to leave him on impact, seizing his muscles up and sending him into an involuntary panic.

Only moments ago, he had successfully broken a majority of Jackhammer's armor with cataclysm, but the process resulted in a large explosion at the akuma's engine and Adrien had been effectively launched over the edge of the bridge into the winter water. Grabbing again at the metal, he madly attempted to pry it apart causing the forked teeth dug into the meat of his calf, daring him to release what oxygen he maintained in a cry of pain. He could only hope Ladybug would summon her miraculous cleanse and rid him of the weight before it was too late. Pressure mounted in his sinuses as his lungs screamed for air, the beat of his heart thrumming against his temples as he repressed the automatic urge to breathe. Shoving the end of his baton against one of the lipped edges of the metal arm, he extended it. A scream escaped him as a spew of bubbles when the metal arm was harshly torn away from his leg, taking chunks of flesh with it as it was hurtled toward the bottom of the river.

Gritting his teeth against his tunneling vision, he slammed his lips shut as the baton continued to grow in length before launching him toward the surface of the water. The growing light from the reflecting street lamps against the surface got progressively darker as he neared, going completely dark as he broke the liquid barrier. Immediately upon surfacing, a visceral gasp escaped him filling his lungs with the stinging sensation of frigid air as he felt himself splash onto the bank. A series of sputtering and hacking followed as he weakly groped for anything to pull himself fully out the water's embrace. The high pitched hum ringing in his ears and vertigo, however, pulled him back into the cement walkway, drowning out the sound of his miraculous wearing off before he passed out in a dead faint.

. . . . .

Ladybug had her hands full as she attempted to finish the job. Chat had done well in breaking the protective armor that surrounded the akumatized victim, but the man still had plenty of energy, driving him to dart around her and avoid her attempts to break the buckle containing the evil butterfly. Her leather-clad partner had since been thrown into the river. But as concerned as she was when she hadn't been able to catch him in the grip of her yo-yo, she needed to stay focused if she wanted to help him now, and dodging the albeit broken swipes of the akuma took just that.

After a couple of long moments, evading and leaping over the enemy, Marinette finally succeeded in stopping him in his tracks when she looped her yo-yo around his knees, causing the man to fall to the ground. Not waiting a second, she sprang at him, tearing the buckle from his outfit before promptly snapping it in half. A black butterfly instantly emerged from its confines, fluttering away from hero and victim alike, only to be captured and purified. The now white butterfly soared toward the horizon, light glinting from its wings as a it beat a lazy trail across the cloud filled sky. With that, she grabbed the lucky charm sitting near her feet and cast it in the air. The sky was filled with a surge of ladybugs as the damage to the surrounding neighborhood was undone, returning the city to a peaceful, snowy night.

The victim of the akuma groaned as he pushed himself to his knees. Marinette pulled him to his feet to ask him if he was alright when a large splash sounded behind them, reminding her that Chat had yet to appear. Barely giving the man's response's a second thought, she darted onto the railing of the bridge, searching frantically for her partner. She squinted at a black form that flopped onto the ground just down stream, catching sight of two cat shaped ears illuminated faintly by the street lights that shown down on him. Her breath caught in her throat before she could breathe a sigh of relief, however, as she swung over to him, watching as he struggled to pull his legs from the river only to collapse on the pavement below. The warning beep of her miraculous only increased her anxiety as she realized his would wear off any second now and the bystanders and onlookers were steadily amassing about him.

Swinging in, she barked angrily at the crowd to back away. Chat's identity was about to be revealed and although she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious as well, there was no way she was going to compromise him to satiate the whims of her imagination. Angry tears welled up against her eyelids as she glared at the crowd when they didn't give way, hastily gathering the unconscious boy into her arms when Alya suddenly dashed from a midst the group. Long since having turned off her broadcast of the event, the auburn-haired girl was quickly followed by Nino who demanded the heroes' respect from the onlookers as Alya shed her outer-coat, placing it over Chat's head and torso. Marinette briefly nodded a thank you at the gesture before bounding out of the mob, silently grateful for the intervention of her friends.

Marinette made her way out of sight as quickly as she could manage, leaping up shorter buildings and ledges to reach the familiar rooftops of the city, despite the inability to use her yo-yo. Her ascension to the roofs couldn't have been more timely as a green flash emanated from under the jacket as she landed. A soft moan followed the de-transformation and a small black cat, she could only assume to be Chat's kwami, rolled out from under the coat and onto the powdery snow below them. Ladybug stopped in her tracks, suddenly feeling fatigue set in as her own miraculous' power was waning. Glancing around, she placed the covered boy under an awning before returning to collect the kwami, returning to the boy's side as her own transformation wore off. She leaned against the wall at her back to catch her breath as Tikki emerged from her earring, drifting tiredly over to Marinette's hand. Upon noticing the cat kwami, however, the red entity hastily darted toward him with a head encompassing hug.

"Plagg!" Tikki exclaimed, her own weariness fleeting as she saw her long-missed friend's tired state. She brushed a paw over his forehead. "Plagg, are you alright?"

The black kwami nodded weakly as she stroked his head. "I'm fine. I just held on for as long as I could," he replied with a shiver.

Marinette frowned sadly as him, pulling her hat from her head, placing the two tiny entities into the heap of fabric and folding it gently over them. She looked back to the coat covering her partner, placing a hand on the heap as she waited to feel him rise from a breath. Chat was de-transformed and unconscious. What was she supposed to do now?

"Do you want a cookie?" she asked absentmindedly, turning her attention back to the kwamis while pulling a couple cookies from her bag. Marinette may have not known how to deal with Chat, but she knew the kwamis would be hungry after such an arduous battle. Tikki immediately responded by stuffing one in her mouth but Plagg simply made a face.

"He likes cheese, Marinette," Tikki chirped between mouthfuls.

Plagg's large green eyes blinked up at her from the hat, only then did the realization dawn on him.

"Hey! I _thought_ it might be you," he said, pointing a paw in the girl's direction. "But in terms of food," he added with a nod, "Tikki's right. Cheese, please. The more dank smelling, the better."

Marinette arched an eyebrow at his reaction. "Do I know Chat apart from being Ladybug?"

"Why don't you just see for yourself," Plagg waved nonchalantly, "oh, and get me some cheese from his inner-jacket pocket while you're at it."

"I-I can't just-" Marinette stammered as she flushed, waving her hands excitedly in front of her. "That's an invasion of privacy," she argued.

"I don't think you don't have much of a choice, Marinette," Tikki remarked.

"It's not like he can get to the hospital on his own," Plagg added. "Besides, your concerns are unwarranted. You're friends, after all. "

"H-hospital-?" Marinette repeated as her worried gaze traveled the length of the boy, now noticing the blood seeping from his pant leg, its warmth melting the snow beneath him into a red puddle. She sucked in a gasp at the sight, promptly removing her scarf and wrapping it around his leg as a poor excuse for a tourniquet.

"Probably sooner than later," Plagg replied, a hint of urgency in his voice. "I mean, apart from his leg, that water was bitter cold. I can't be too sure I prevented all of the hypothermia. "

Marinette grit her teeth as she steeled herself to pull the coat back, her hand wavering with trepidation as it hovered over the boy. The dynamic between them was likely never going to be the same once she knew who he was, and she'd much rather learn his identity from him when he chose to reveal it. It was supposed to be for fun, to satiate their curiosity in the far-flung future. Never out of necessity. Not like this. . . She hesitantly peeled back the covering to find a blonde head of hair, but it was the familiarity of his face that stopped her breath in her gut, causing her to gape at him in disbelief.

"A-adrien-"

Her voice trailed off into the air with the vapor of her breath, dissipating into the night sky, leaving her to stare in awe at the boy before her. His breaths were shallow and his skin was pale. She removed a glove before timidly placing her hand against his brow, recoiling at the touch.

"He's. . . not warm-" she said, her face dropping with horror.

She placed the back of her hand against his cheek, then neck. Fumbling fingertips found his carotid artery as she had learned from CPR class, locating a weak pulse. Pulling the lapels of his coat together, she buttoned them up over his scarf, moving his hood to cover his head before cinching it more snugly against his face. Marinette looked down the kwamis in panic, fear knitting her eyebrows into each other as she picked the two up from her scarf.

"Let me stay with him," Plagg said, pointing to Adrien. "I'll stay out of sight."

Marinette nodded, sliding him into a coat pocket and fastening it closed. New tears had formed, threatening to roll down her cheeks as she pulled Adrien into her arms again, looking up to Tikki who hovered above them.

"Marinette, it'll be alright," she said quietly. "Stay strong for Adrien, just for a little while longer."

Marinette nodded as she blinked the tears away, calling with renewed determination, "Tikki, transform me!"

Without hesitation, she pulled out her yo-yo, dialing the police.

"Yes, I have a civilian who is severely injured. Please have an ambulance on standby near the entrance of the Grand Palais. I'll be there shortly."

After hanging up and replacing the yo-yo, Ladybug bounded from the roof toward the proposed location, keeping a tight hold on Adrien as he lolled about in her arms. She decided to leave Alya's coat on the roof and retrieve it later, just in case someone recognized it once they came back into the city. Adrien still had an identity to protect, after all. She continued to run, blinking away the tears and snowflakes that clouded her vision all while muttering Tikki's words of encouragement under her breath. She could finally see the Grand Palais, meaning they were only moments away when a muffled call came from below her. Plagg then suddenly zipped from the pocket over to Adrien's face, passing in front of his mouth and nose.

"He's- Ah! Kid! Come on. Don't do this _now!_ "

"W-what-?" Marinette stammered, eyes wide as she was now equally alarmed.

"He- he's not _breathing_ ," Plagg nearly shouted, pushing against Adrien's face in a panic. "I- he _needs Tikki!_ "

The heroine nearly lost her balance as she was descending into a neighboring alley, barely catching herself as she hit the ground by leaning into the side of building against her shoulder blade.

She quickly laid Adrien on the ground as she released her transformation, loosening his hood, laying the boy's head back as she attempted to clear his airway. Tikki drifted over him, nuzzling up against Adrien's frigid flesh and the three sets of eyes watched for any movement while Marinette muttered aloud her disbelief. A moment had passed, but his chest had still not risen even remotely. Plagg darted around frantically as Marinette repositioned herself and bent over him. Pinching his nose closed, she clamped her mouth over his. Her breaths caused his chest to rise, allowing her to begin administering compressions. Tikki remained against Adrien's cheek and continued mumbling some unknown words while the black kwami watched in a nervous silence before dashing to the edge of the alleyway, peering around the building's corner for any sign of emergency personnel.

"Come on, Adrien," Marinette choked, continuing the pattern, now unaware of the kwamis' presence. "Not now. Not after everything-"

Her voice caught in her chest as she finished the compressions. She leaned down and gave him another set of rescue breaths as tears spilled over her cheeks and dropped onto Adrien's. Marinette hiccuped as she readied herself for another set of compressions, fighting the looming, dark thoughts that tried to remind her most individuals requiring CPR didn't survive. Her face flushed as she bit back against the tears, barely containing the sobs that rattled through her core. This wasn't supposed to happen. Adrien's life wasn't supposed to be in jeopardy. Chat wasn't supposed to die in front of her. He was literally her hero. Heroes weren't supposed to _die_.

Finishing another set before she knew it, she leaned toward him again, crying over him as she brought her mouth to his. A stuttered cough passed in front of her face, and she realized- breath had once again returned to the boy. She stammered in surprise, tears now gushing down her face as the sobs escaped her and her head dropped to his shoulder. The relief that he was breathing again was overwhelming to the point of overpowering her ability to sit upright, so instead she shivered as pained sobs escaped her, clenching the material of his coat in her fists. Tikki touched the back of Marinette's head in a comforting manner, to which the girl shook her head.

"Stay with h-im," Marinette stammered, still gripping Adrien's coat as her lifeline. "I'll be fine. St-ay with him an- m-make sure he's o-kay."

Plagg's voice shouted from down the street, yelling frantically for help and Marinette looked up to notice the flicker of blue lights passing against the walls and pavement. Another feeling of relief soothed her aching heart a little more as she realized the emergency services had arrived. Plagg and Tikki zipped into the confines of Adrien's clothing, hiding themselves away as a series of footsteps neared them. Marinette brushed Adrien's bangs from his face, placing a soft kiss on his forehead as the medical staff approached. Tears continued to streak her face and she let her hand linger on his cheek until they moved him to a stretcher. He would be alright.

He _would_ be alright.

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 _ _A/N: Per usual, if you have any ideas or thoughts, leave me a comment. :) I love it when you guys give me new ideas.__


	3. Untimely

A/N: Totally meant for this to be _really short_ to companion fanart I created for my tumblr account. . . I didn't anticipating it growing into a full one shot. Derp. OTL Hopefully you enjoy.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Untimely**_

 _Ladybug is about to detransform and leaves Chat to deal with the akuma._

* * *

The battle had raged far too long, but really, it was because her lucky charm only managed to partially subdue the akuma that the fight should have already ended. That, and the amassing injuries she supposed. If Marinette's current state didn't convince her that Ladybug was lucky, nothing would. With the exception of a few minor cuts and bruises, only her hair was ruffled with dirt and sweat. Meanwhile, her partner, fittingly, looked like something the cat had dragged in. Drenched in sweat with blood running down his face from the laceration at his forehead, Chat had definitely seen better days. Ladybug looked over at him desperately, dodging another swat from the giant when her earrings beeped again, reminding her that she had moments before she would lose the power of her alter ego. Chat shouted at the villain again in an attempt to draw its attention, but the towering monster still remained too close to risk turning her back on it. It was all they could do to keep it away from the fleeing civilians while staying just out of its enormous reach. The last thing she wanted to do in light of such danger was leave Chat on his own if only for a moment, but Tikki needed to recharge if Marinette was going to be of any more use.

"Chat!" She shouted as she vaulted over the next strike when it crashed loudly into the rooftops. "I need to go! I'm almost out of time."

The black clad boy pounced toward her, feet barely touching down before springing back in tandem from another hurtling blow. Retracting his baton, he twirled it rapidly between them and the akuma, following Ladybug closely as she backed away.

"Go, M'Lady. I'll handle this. Just-"

"I know," she replied, regret on her voice as she turned her attention toward the closest edge of the roof. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Chat forced a charismatic grin, glancing back at her as she retreated. "I await your swift retur-"

The red figure of Ladybug leapt from the building's ledge when from out of Chat's peripheral he spotted the akuma swinging again with its other arm and it was then that time stood still. A sudden dread washed over him as he watched the weakened, but still dangerously huge claws flail ever closer to the girl who remained unaware of her impending doom. Without a moment to lose, Chat launched himself from his baton at the red clad heroine.

"Ladybug!"

Chat's panicked shout came as she leapt from her perch, causing her to turn and look when his body smashed against hers in a tackle, driving them headfirst into the alley below. A loud howl sounded and her eyes blew wide as she realized they had narrowly avoided the gaping claws. Shooting her yoyo to a drainpipe along side the building, she managed to slow their descent just enough before they hit the ground, resulting in a moderately rough tumble with Chat wrapped around her. Ignoring the spinning in her head, she immediately pushed herself up to stand, balking when Chat didn't let go. Instead, he staggered greatly as he attempted to rise with her, nearly knocking her back down in the process.

"Kitty. . ." Keeping at bay the irritation on her tongue, she instead sucked in a breath before continuing. She spoke urgently while assisting him by pulling him up under the arms. "Just hide until I get ba-"

She startled suddenly when he crumpled against her, causing her knees to buckle to compensate the unanticipated additional weight. Wrapping her arms around him in support, she lifted him back to his feet when he released a sharp gasp followed by a pained moan, gripping her arm as if it was his lifeline when his form slumped more completely into her arms a second time.

"Chat-" Her exhaustion escaped her this time as she hissed in frustration. "What is-"

An unsettlingly warm, sticky fluid glued her palms to his leather outfit as she pulled him toward her along his back and she realized she could feel his flesh between what was likely his shredded outfit. Tentatively, she removed her hand, holding her fingers up to the faint streetlight as she examined them to find they were coated in something reflective and dark. Her voice caught at the back of her throat as bile threatened to come out instead and Marinette could feel her entire world crashing down. With a spiral of guilt came unwanted tears, rushing down her face as she tried to get the boy to respond with anything beyond the agonized, shuddering breaths he took in. But only weak whispers escaped her as she did so; Weak for fear of drawing the akuma's attention, but more so for fear of what had happened to Chat. "Everything will be okay", she said on repeat. But even she wasn't entirely convinced that the words she offered as comfort were true. A vibrant red lit then the dim street indicating that Tikki's power had finally wore off, only to be followed a split second later by a green light. The damage of the impact must have overwhelmed his kwami as Marinette found her precious Chat Noir detransforming right before her very eyes.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Here, the partner she had grown to care immensely for was barely standing and barely conscious in her arms as both of their identities were about to be revealed. What took mere fractions of a second in transformation seemed to last a lifetime as Marinette's mind whirled at a million miles a minute watching every detail unfolding in crystal clarity. The magical suit seemed to just disappear as the light of the detransformation traveled up the length of his body starting at his toes, instantly changing his attire from leather to cotton, returning his civilian clothes stitch for stitch. What looked like orange tennis shoes followed by a light blue denim pant came into view. The light continued to move toward her but the tears quickly became so heavy that mixing with the advancing light turned everything into a white, watery blur.

And like that, it was over. The alley was back to its original dim state and she felt Tikki drop to her shoulder before her blonde partner collapsed completely taking Marinette down to her knees. She pulled him in closely as she sniffed back the cascade. While she was aware she needed to be cautious of his state, panic overtook her as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. She didn't want to know. Knowing would only make things worse. Even if she didn't know him, she knew he was Chat. Seeing the 'real' him would only conclude that he was vulnerable and mortal, just like her. Now more than anything, she wanted to cling to the falsehood that he was the unchangeable, ever constant, superhero Chat Noir. But reality held he was injured. He _had_ gotten hurt and all to save her, no less. She needed to get him help.

That's when the faint stench of strong cheese caught her attention. Mixed with a soft, pleasant fragrance of a mild cologne, the scent became all the more familiar as she continued to breathe it in. The peculiar familiarity of it was comforting, allowing her to calm slightly and pull away from Chat.

Blonde hair.

Shorter than Chat's. The panic returned tenfold, this time manifesting itself as ravenous knots in her gut. _He_ was her kitty. _He_ was her beloved partner. _He_ was her Chat Noir. And he _was_ human after all, just as she was. Having already finished the emergency snack,Tikki now floated into view, the kwami's large eyes full of understanding pity, for Marinette's expression was transparent as glass. The girl had no need to turn the boy over for she already knew without a shadow of a doubt whom it was who lay on her lap. It wasn't supposed to be this way, but it was. All she could do now was move forward.

From a soft, but far from broken voice came the command. A red flash followed.

Chat Noir would live to see another day.

His Lady would see to it.

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 _A/N: If you wanna find me on tumblr, search fluoroidtheauthor. It's where I post all my crummy fanart because I love this show so much. xD As always, thanks for your comments and feedback. Let me know if you ever have ideas you'd love to see me write._


	4. Seeing Red

_A/N: This chapter was actually partially inspired by **pinksakura271** 's comment. lol Pinksakura always gets so upset when Chat gets injured, so I thought to myself, what if Ladybug got caught in the cross-hairs for once? As a result, this fic was born._

 _ **Demi clayton:** thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them. ^^_

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 _ **Chapter 4: Seeing Red**_

 _Stand alone resolution to chapters 14-16 of my other fic "Broken Pieces" initiated solely from the idea of the first sentence. Since this was so LadyNoir POV-centric (and a reveal fic) I decided it was more appropriate to post it in this compilation. This chapter is definitely rated T for blood and maybe a touch of risque. Just a heads up._

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"Do you _want_ to die?"

The question rang on repeat in her head as she stared back into the blood red eyes of her assailant. He whom once was her closest companion was now her deadliest adversary: Chat Noir who now went by the alias of Chat Blanc. The boy straddled Ladybug's pelvis, pinning her wrists against her body with his knees. His left hand tightened dangerously around her throat causing her rapid heartbeat to thrum even louder at her temples and she could feel herself grow lightheaded. Chat's right hand hovered above her threateningly with a foreboding white energy pulsing around his palm. It was the equivalent to Chat Noir's 'cataclysm' except Chat Blanc seemed to have unlimited uses of his 'obliterate' rather than just one. The power had very recently proved the destruction of a vast majority of the battle field, leaving the feuding heroes surrounded by slowly evaporating rubble. Ladybug struggled against his hold, flinching suddenly when Chat flexed the fingers of his right hand causing the energy to collide, resulting in a low, rumbling pop.

Ladybug's lips parted as she attempted to speak, but the only thing that escaped her was a choked gasp and more tears. Chat sneered derisively and cocked his head to the side. "Beg your pardon. I didn't quite catch that." He leaned in closer keeping his knees planted in the same place as he bent over more, settling more weight onto her windpipe. His breath brushed her ear as he whispered, sending a thrilling chill down her spine as her vision blackened. "You don't what-?"

"I- don'-" Her voice rasped hoarsely causing her to stop and wet her lips in an effort to speak more clearly before gasping against the hold on her airway, exerting the last of her statement as a series of grunts. "N'- wan- to fi- you!"

Without giving him a split second to laugh, she suddenly pulled her feet back to her butt and thrust her hips upward, bucking him off and over her with one swift movement. Her vision was almost entirely black as she retreated so she didn't see Chat's jaw had gone slack in surprise as he flew in the air. Darting to her knees opposite the direction she threw him, she let out a violent series of deep, barking coughs. The coughing fit was followed instantly by a huge sputtering gasp all of which seemed to bring her vision back into clarity as she could now see Chat on the rebound. His expression was sour. Wincing at the headache that pounded against her skull, she grabbed her yo-yo and dodged another incoming tackle, quickly hurling the weapon skyward as she summoned her lucky charm.

The white clad boy didn't give her another second as Ladybug then found herself diving under him as he pounced at her a second time, barely managing to catch the charm with her fingertips right before it hit the ground. Grasping the charm tightly she flipped over her other hand, rolling to the side to narrowly dodge Chat's baton as it lanced in extension toward her. The boy's akuma enhanced speed, however, allowed him to catch her with a sweeping kick before she had finished rolling, connecting with her gut to send her sprawling. Fighting the instinct to curl in on what were probably fractured ribs, Ladybug pushed herself up with a stifled grunt when she noticed a purple halo light around Chat's eyes. Her partner glared down at her as she backed away clumsily, only to then find her heels tipping back along the crumbling edge of the roof they were on.

The girl glanced desperately at her feet, eyeing the rubble at the ground far below them. She clutched the lucky charm in her fist, determining she needed to find a way to get the jump on Chat in order for the charm to work. However, in order to do that, she'd need to gain more time and have to find somewhere she could hide until Tikki recharged. She'd worry about another lucky charm to cleanse the city later because as it was, she was finding it challenging enough to put any distance between her and the cat. She just had to cause a distraction sufficiently long enough to-

"Chat, fight _back,_ " she pleaded when he advanced a step forward. Holding her free hand up in a gesture to calm him, she was surprised to feel tears gather at the corners of her eyes for the umpteenth time. How could she still cry? "You don't need to do this! Hawkmoth isn't-"

"What do you know?!" Chat spat in reply. "You know _nothing_ about me and my situation. This is what I want! You hear me?!" His red irises stared at her angrily, scoffing when she didn't respond and noted the new tracks that carved through the dirt and blood smears on her cheeks. "Save your tears," the boy muttered bitterly as he cast his eyes downward. "I don't need your pity." He clenched his right hand at his side before his eyes darted back to hers lit with renewed fury. "I only need your _miraculous_!"

At this he leapt at her clawing at one of her earrings when Ladybug suddenly jumped, diving backward from the building. Chat stuttered to a halt along the edge when another piece of mortar broke away. His form shrank as he readied to pounce, stepping down the side of the building before shooting his legs straight, propelling him downward. "No you don't!" he roared as he launched off the building toward her. Eyes shot wide as Ladybug threw her yo-yo at his face but he managed to raise his forearm in time to deflect the shot before extending his arms toward her. He then caught her around the waist as the continued to plummet. Without so much as a second after contact, his dug his claws into the small of her back causing her to scream.

A white hot, freezing sensation exploded at her core when his hand raked into her back. Ladybug could feel the magical power of her suit ripping away as the power at his clawed fingers dug deeper into her flesh and she knew it was over. Ladybug bashed her teeth together, blinking past the pain induced tears as the burning surged through her abdomen before she let out a defiant yell. She gabbed his head and forced it toward her ignoring all resistance. The biting disintegration flared up the back of her torso and with the last of her strength she smashed her lips against his. Wrapping more fully around his bottom lip, she felt her head swim when he suddenly kissed her back. He pulled her more fully against him, unaware of the increased pain she was experiencing when he passed his tongue between her lips and kissed her passionately, like everything else was suddenly forgotten and she was the only thing he wanted. She eagerly responded in kind, reveling in the strange combination of euphoria from the kiss while she simultaneously felt herself being torn to pieces.

A moment later she collided into Chat as they hit the ground before they rolled, and rolled, causing Ladybug let out a weak yelp when she was stopped abruptly by what remained of her back striking a large chunk of broken cement. With her energy completely exhausted, she felt her body go slack and her surroundings blurring dark as her head lolled back. At the last moment, something soft caught her head before it hit the pavement. A muffled voice rang out from somewhere close by, but she couldn't discern from what distance or direction it came from.

"Ladybug!"

A black, foggy figure loomed over her, the muted voice full of concern and she felt herself lifted into a strong pair of lean arms. Blanching at the movement, a hot sensation rose in her chest before cascading out of her lips as crimson when she let out a broken cough. The heat poured down her neck and continued down her front, saturating her suit with a disconcerting warmth. The figure above her made a cry of alarm.

"My Lady!" it shouted in an excited panic.

"C-Chat?" Her eyebrows arched in confusion as her voice came quietly through the thick outpouring of iron. He trembled beneath her.

The black clad boy shivered madly as he held her redder than usual form, tears pouring down his face as guilt spurred agony ate away at his soul. Up until the last few moments everything was a haze. Her remembered seeing Ladybug there. He needed to stop her for some reason. The voice told him she had something important to give him. Ladybug had been so sad and he didn't understand why she continued to fight him. They fought and fought, and then they fell. She kissed him. She- _kissed_ him and he kissed her. It was the most elated he had ever felt. But then. . . this. It was like he woke up after kissing her- woke up from a foggy, unpleasant nightmare. He had escaped the fog anyway, but the nightmare continued as he felt large portions of her back muscles missing as she lay bleeding buckets all over his arms and his lap. His eyes caught sight of his right hand holding her at the rib cage, finding it was completely drenched in even more blood unlike his left. . . No. He couldn't have- He would _never_ \- but it happened in the dream and the dream turned out to be reality.

"L-Ladybug." he stammered thickly, hiccuping.

She shook her head in barely noticeable motions a gave him a tiny smile even though she couldn't see him clearly. _It's not your fault_ her bleary eyes seemed to say, but another flare of pain caused her face to crumple and Chat's heart to shatter. Her arm flopped against the ground catching Chat's attention through the glint of his tears, and he noticed she was reaching for a small, red spotted, cylindrical tube resting on the ground just out of the girl's reach. He hastily grabbed what appeared to be a tube of lipstick, gently placing it in her palm that rested on the pavement. The words 'miraculous ladybug' came out as no more than a mere whisper. There was no toss, no fanfare, just a simple, small command and an outpouring of ladybugs that washed away all of the damage taking the lucky charm with it. His eyes didn't leave her as the magic cleansed the city. Instead, he watched her intently, begging her not to close her eyes. She looked back at him kindly, brushing the backs of her fingers against his chest with the hand closest to him as she smiled again when her eyes drifted shut and a quiet breath was expelled.

Chat's voice broke as he released a sob, crouching over her limp form allowing his tears to fall. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. He was supposed to be the only one who got hurt. He, _Chat_ , was _supposed_ to _protect_ _ **her**_. Ladybug wasn't meant to save him, and he sure as hell never. _Ever._ Should have. _Hurt._ Her. Yet, somehow he did. And he hadn't _just_ hurt her either. He. . . he had. . . with his very own hands. . . A cry of pure anguish erupted from his gut, echoing with angry remorse down the narrow street they occupied. A bright green flash followed right after, leaving Adrien Agreste in its wake and Plagg floating silently to his charge's shoulder. The teen rested the heroine on his lap, removing a hand from under her. Shakily he reached to the dark bangs of the girl he had loved, pushing them away from her masked face in a tender manner, his expression scrunching up with sorrow and self loathing as he gazed at her closed lashes only to be startled when Ladybug's entire form suddenly flashed red.

He slammed his eyes shut at the rush of light, chancing a squint when it dissipated a second later only to find the girl was no longer Ladybug. Adrien's gut balled up inside him as his eyes traveled up the girl's figure as he noted her clothing, only to stop at her hand resting near his chest and he felt a lump form at his throat. He shouldn't look, because the last thing he wanted to know was the identity of the girl whom he had murdered. But the unique clothing was telltale enough. He knew who it was. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Overcome with the need to know, he inadvertently glanced over to find her face was still caked in blood. Her beautiful bright blue eyes, forever closed. His hand at her bangs traced along side her ear and down her jaw as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, smearing still damp dirt as he did so. His thumb then moved to trace over her delicate, half-parted, blood crusted lips and he found himself experience a new rush of tears.

 _She was_ Ladybug. His brave heroine who had stopped at nothing to rid and protect the world from evil was none other than his friend, Marinette. The one who always made him feel stronger, the one who gave him purpose and meaning. . . it was her all along. Always empowering and kind, the girl didn't deserve any of the bad that befell her. And she certainly didn't deserve. . . how could he have- Suddenly without coherence, he spewed some rambled directions to Plagg who had since gone to Tikki's side and Adrien quickly, but carefully set Marinette back down, only to clamp a hand over his mouth and scramble some meters away before he couldn't contain himself any longer. Out splashed the contents of his stomach on the pavement below him and he let out another cry. His entire frame shook, wracked with sobs and gasps between retches. She would have told him Hawkmoth made him do it and that this wasn't his fault. But whether compelled by some outside force or not, _he_ was still the one that ended her life and he would _never_ forgive himself.

After a long minute he spat what was left in his mouth before wiping his lips with the back of his arm. He struggled and stumbled back to where he had left her, slouching over her on his knees, burying his eyes into the sleeve of her jacket as he cried over her. "Ma-Marinette, I'm so _so sorry_ ," he wailed softly, quivering inconsolably next to her. "Please. Just, just open your eyes. Please. I'm begging you. Don't leave. . . I- I don't deserve you. I _don't_. I _know_ I don't-," he shouted in self deprecation, "but _you_ don't deserve _this!"_

"Just come back." His voice broke. The blonde wept anew, balling the fabric of her sleeve in his fists. He remembered Ladybug. All the times she had rolled her eyes at his puns and advances. The times she smiled. The times he protected her and when she protected him. The times he thought he had lost her. . . And Marinette. Her determination to stand up for others and her strength in the face of danger. All the times she made him laugh, in and out of the costume. It was something to do with the magic of the miraculous he was certain, but in hindsight, Adrien couldn't fathom how he hadn't seen Marinette and Ladybug as the same person before. And while he loved Ladybug, he realized he inherently loved her too, the girl who lay next to him. If only he had the chance to tell her.

The tears continued to fall, memories of her replaying in his head when he imagined he felt her move. He looked up immediately, hoping against hope that there may still be life in her when her arm twitched again. He put his arms under her, lifting her up onto his knees and she let out a soft groan. Her eyes fluttered open just a crack before coming to stare at him. She squinted in disbelief for a moment before muttering aloud: "Adrien-" Her voice was barely audible, but she was awake. More than awake, she was _alive._ Marinette was _ALIVE!_ Unable to contain his unfathomable relief, Adrien pulled her tightly against him as he let out happy cry with another wave of tears, hugging her with all his might. Marinette made a small noise when her face screwed with pain and Adrien realized she was still bleeding at her back. He released her slightly, careful not to jostle her as he stood up, nuzzling his lips against her forehead as he wept with a tight smile.

"I'm- I'm just so. . . I can't tell you how _worried_ I was."

"Forget worry," Plagg interjected. "The kid thought he killed yo-"

"Shush," Tikki hissed behind him, effectively silencing the cat kwami.

"Wait. . ." Beyond the spinning headache, the wheels in Marinette's head were turning. She peered at the kwami at her side then back at Adrien for a moment before her eyes lit with inquisitive realization. "Kitty?"

"I'm so, _so_ sorry, Princess."

He whispered the words against her forehead and Marinette could feel more of his tears drop onto her scalp and running down into her eyebrows. A wave of fatigue swept over her senses as his breath passed over her skin. She felt safe again and now that she knew Chat was okay, she could rest. Adrien seemed to notice as her eyes started to close as he got jittery again and she could feel his heart pound against his chest. "Kitty." Her voice chided him gently but she didn't bother opening her eyes. The boy looked down at her with concern, running his thumb softly over her face in an attempt to rouse her.

"It'll be okay, Adrien." Tikki said, who was being supported by Plagg. "The miraculous cleanse resolved most of what I couldn't withstand. She just needs some basic emergency treatment and a lot of rest and she'll be fine."

Adrien smiled slightly at this. "What about you?" he asked sympathetically.

"I just need some sweets and I'll be back to normal in no time," Tikki replied with a little shake of her head and wave of her paw.

"And I need cheese," Plagg added grumpily, motioning to his gaping maw.

Marinette let out a small giggle at that. Adrien looked down at her in surprise to find her eyes remained shut.

"I'm glad- you're back," she whispered. "My kitty. Adrien."

Adrien blushed profusely and could feel the heat spread across his cheeks to fully encompass his ears. Marinette let out a breath and went slack in his arms as she fell back into unconsciousness. At a glace from Adrien, Plagg assisted Tikki into Marinette's jacket. After placing a kiss on her forehead, Adrien stood up straight. He and his lady still had much to resolve, and his fath- Hawkmoth still needed to be dealt with, but that could wait for another day. For now, Adrien resolved that he would never let any harm befall his lady- Marinette, ever again. He would stop Hawkmoth and make him right his wrongs. Chat would help Ladybug bring peace back to Paris once and for all.

"Plagg, transform me."

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 _A/N: Woo! Steamy mini make out session. LOL And as it turns out, I'll write all the pain and drama, but I have a **really** hard time killing characters off, so hopefully that's agreeable with you guys. Thanks for reading and reviewing! _


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